Really There
by Sode no Shirayuki1411
Summary: A Illium x Aodhan drabble that makes absolutely no sense. Much like their friendship.


**Back away guys, I wasn't kidding when I said this made absolutely no sense.**

 **Do I actually like this drabble? Meh, it's okay. Do I actually expect anyone to ever read this? No.**

 **But I am so happy to be writing something that I really do not care. So if anyone finds this, enjoy guys.**

 **T for _very_ mild language.**

 **I own nothing.**

* * *

Something wasn't right.

It was the arms that wrapped gently around his neck in a hug and the soft, almost mist-like form that pressed itself close to him that were Illium's first clue.

Partly because Aodhan is many things but he's never been soft, partly because Illium just called his aerie at the Refuge and spoke with him and Aodhan literally _cannot_ have made it here in such a short amount of time. No one could, not even Illium himself and the blue-winged angel is the fastest of the fast.

But mostly it's the fact that, though it's been over one hundred years since Aodhan let Illium touch him and ten since he started letting others do so as well, he has never, ever _initiated_ physical contact himself, that made Illium sure that something was wrong.

He shuddered slightly but didn't open his eyes. If he did he would not be able to make any more excuses, no longer be able to lie to himself and think that he was wrong, there must be some way his friend was here. If he opened his eyes he would have to acknowledge that he was alone in the room, his friend was on the other side of an ocean and he was going insane.

'Aodhan' smiled against Illium's neck as he looked past him and out the large window Illium was sitting in front of.

"I love the way the sunlight glistens off the pavement in Manhattan," 'Aodhan's' voice was light and warm in a way that Illium hadn't heard since their childhood, further proof that this was his imagination talking. "It's my favourite sight in the world-other than you, of course."

"Of course," said Illium flippantly, as though this was a light subject that didn't shake him down to his core. Because he couldn't lie to himself anymore, not about this anyway, Aodhan was his favourite sight in the world too.

He kept his eyes tightly shut as he tilted his head back and reached an arm up behind his head, certain that his hand would close on empty air, but it seemed that his hallucinations were physical as well as auditory and visual, his hand touched soft, diamond-coloured hair.

Screw it.

His golden eyes opened. Aodhan's blue-green shattered ones stared back.

Damn, that was one hell of a hallucination he had going on this time.

This wasn't the first time this had happened to Illium, that was how he knew it was a hallucination, it simply could not be otherwise, but this was by far the worst they had ever gotten. Usually it was only a whisper in his ear, a brush of a wing against his when he knew himself to be alone –like now- or the brilliant sparkle of diamonds out of the corner of his eye that disappeared when he turned his head.

But this time, no matter how many times he blinked, Aodhan's face, his presence, it didn't disappear.

"Are you real?" Would the hallucination of a crazy angel tell the crazy angel he was crazy? It seemed like bad manners, but Illium had trouble believing even an imaginary Aodhan would ever lie to him about anything, even to make him feel better.

Aodhan didn't smile but there was a faint warmth in his eyes, "I don't know, am I? Do I seem real?"

Well... yes and no, Illium decided. But probably... "No." Illium whispered, "you're not real."

'Aodhan' just nodded, "if you say so." He leaned forwards until their noses touched, him standing behind Illium as he sat on a luxurious bench designed for angel wings, his arms braced behind him so he could lean back with his head thrown back and stare into Aodhan's eyes.

"Since you're not real," Illium began, "I guess this won't matter." And he leaned back slightly more, eyes sliding shut again, and kissed Aodhan on the mouth.

Warm lips pressed against his, causing his heart to flutter like a baby angel on its first flight, before pulling away, the arms around his neck withdrawing.

When Illium opened his eyes a second later, he was alone.

Well shit.

* * *

Three days later Aodhan and Illium were walking through the Tower discussing the newest gift Nassir had brought Elena –a dead pigeon- when Aodhan stopped to stare out at the glittering and still wet landscape.

"I love the city after it rains," he said, "I love the way the streets glisten in the sunlight."

The statement was so similar to the one his hallucination had said that Illium stopped dead, the blood freezing in his veins.

"Really?" He forced himself to say, not sounding remotely like himself, "I didn't know that."

Unexpectedly Aohdan reached out and ran his hand over the soft arch of Illium's wing, the touch making the other angel shiver.

"Yes you did," he said, "I told you the other day.

He walked off, leaving Illium gaping, wondering at the mindscrew that was his life.

* * *

 **So...** ** _was_** **he really there?** ** _I'm_** **confused now. Maybe you guys should tell me.**

 **Does this pairing have a ship name? Cuz if not; I'm naming it. LISTEN UP EVERYONE! I dub this ship BlueSparkleShipping!**

 **But if you guys don't like my idiosyncratic name and don't want to use it, that's fine too.**

 **I apologize for wasting everyone's time.**

 **Bye guys!**


End file.
